crazydiver

Ever heard of overhead costs? The expenses you speak of are overhead costs that must be incurred reguardless of production volume. For a manufacturer to help a customer out by manufacturing them a new canopy, they ONLY incur labor, materials, shipping, and perhaps the minimal energy costs associated with using the sewing machines and cutting tables. I agree that the profit margin in skydiving is much less overall, but still a good amount. Pretty much all gear manufacturers are still small companies and they, of course, will not be making millions (or maybe they do...). Regardless, those who own and run skydiving gear production on a large scale do make a good living, regardless of what they lead you to believe. Cheers, Travis

This just seems to happen a lot on precision canopies in general. I recently saw an almost identical malfunction on another fusion at my DZ. It's interesting to me that when you mention you are looking to downsize and mention that you might look at a saffire 2 or a pilot, why does the sabre 2 or the spectre not cross your mind? Its a rare occasion to see a spectre slam someone and the sabre 2 is a solid canopy as well. I actually prefer them both over the saffire and saffire 2. I've never jumped a pilot, but have not heard good things. I used to be one who stayed away from PD canopies due to the "sticking it to the man" attitude I have and wanting to help out smaller companies, but then I realized I should get over that and fly what flies better, more reliably, and that has better construction. Kind of off topic, but my 2 cents. Basically, I'm just saying to possibly demo and check out some bigger names in gear. Now, you're canopy issue, I would say is most likely due to human and/or packing error such as uneven risers and/or slider not all the way at the stops on the canopy. However, it had to be a really horrible pack job for that to happen, even on a precision canopy. Regardless, it shouldn't happen. It could also be due to body position and speeds on opening. I'm not necesarily saying the company should or should not refund you or get you a new canopy, but because the cause of the mal is unknown to any of us and its mostly each person's word against the others', the company should at least do something to rectify it such as a discount or replacement canopy since the cost of producing a canopy and the materials is minimal compared to what we pay. Good customer service pays off in the end. Cheers, Travis

Patrick also did not sew his canopy to his container. It was a line that was caught by a lace/cable that connected a deflector flap to his rig. There was no sewing involved when he did this. It was simply a cable passing through about an inch of the bottom of his container that was threaded in by hand. Cheers, Travis

However, Patrick was sewing directly on the bottom of the main container. Mudflaps should not be a concern. Cheers, Travis

This could be true of any work done. Unless another rigger rinds it done incorrectly, they may not even know it was done aftermarket. Cheers, Travis

Assembly.

That pin is only used on RSL equiped containers. We need something for non RSL rigs also but it could also be used without an RSL. Simply leave off the rsl but keep the RW pin and marine eye. Even if the marine eye is not preferred, then we can devise a way to connect a ripcord to the RW pin. Cheers, Travis

That pin existed before the skyhook, I do believe. I'm pretty sure you are correct, I was just saying the one that connects to the skyhook for clarification. Cheers, Travis

To begin, I feel that a senior rigger should be able to construct or install a set of slider bumpers on a reserve...in fact, When installed correctly, I think its a very smart idea. However...would this not be considered a modification or alteration? Just throwing that out there for folks to chew on for a while. Cheers, Travis

I"m interested in why no one has mentioned the RW pin that connects to the skyhook. Would this not be a viable option as a beefier pin already in existance? I dont know the specific strength of the capewell type or the RW type, but the RW pin definetly seems beefier. Cheers, Travis

You don't have a rigger friend with a hot knife? Easy fix. Ok, seriously, although not on the pro level I've had a bit of a problem with the CPC level with the weight thing. I've lost a little weight so my wingloading is closer to 1.8:1 then the 1.9:1 it used to be, BUT I'm too big and fat to be allowed the use of weights. My rig is also .7lbs under the 25lbs weight limit. Its a stock rig with a reserve, cypres and main. Nothing special. So go smaller on your canopy choice. Even one downsize will have much more lift and power than what most average sized folks are jumping. Cheers, Travis

NOT LAST!!!! Cheers, Travis

Theres nothing you can really do to "handle" a super hard opening. I imagine what Canuck is talking about are the searchy openings that can quickly put you into line twists and spinning on your back. Landing aside, to take it to the extreme...a person with 200 jumps would have more reserve rides from a crossbraced canopy than someone with 1000 jumps due to their inability to stay cool and fight the beast. Cheers, Travis

most likely not, but if its the first time you packed something, it wouldn't be a bad idea to check the trim. I know I've heard multiple stories of reserves being inches out of trim even with no jumps on them. I would be especially interested in brake legnths more than anything to make sure they were set right from the get go. Cheers, Travis

I don't remember anybody asking you what the hell your plans were but for the record I can't wait for the opportunity to school your ass oh wait, I guess that means I can't keep verting those damned gates then Dude, i'm right there with ya. I dont know if you recall, but on my first run I went dirt water dirt on the pond...but the course wasn't set up over it unfortunately.... Cheers, Travis

I'm 95% sure I'll be there. I'll let you know later next week. Cheers, Travis

But that's only if he didn't vert himself right out of the picture... HAHAHA Cheers, Travis

Good luck. The best I could get from them was an assemply chart. No specs. SOme people have told me they had no problem getting them, but when I tried, it was like pulling teeth...and I never got the tooth pulled in the end. Cheers, Travis

I propack my mains and my reserves. In special cases, I will psycho pack a main and will flat pack a main if requested. Cheers, Travis

Nah, Reflexes are not in production anymore and Mick surely wouldn't produce something looking like that. jk. Cheers, Travis

I think I saw a porn star wearing underwear made of the same fabric as your rig once!!! Cheers, Travis

Apropos of nothing, my Samurai 170 opens softer than my Spectre 190 ever did. You got lucky. Cheers, Travis

Another annoyance is when I see someone selling , for example, a PD 130 reserve. Or a PD 103 reserve I saw the other day too. Cheers, Travis

Your lack of knowledge or experience doesn’t change the situation. Let me give you the number of the rehabilitation center where one of my friends is spending the next year of his life and let him talk to you about under loading a modern cross braced and it collapsing on him at 50 feet. A cross-braced is a little different animal than a simple elliptical. The XF2 is not a cross-braced canopy, but it is a HP canopy. If the manufacturer is recommending a minimum of a 1.4 there is a reason for it. I’d give them a call and ask why if I were looking at jumping one extremely under loaded. And as for under loading a X-braced, knowing what I know now I’d never do it. Why equate this to him underloading the canopy? Crossbraced canopies can collapse just like any other, they are just less prone to. Any canopy and I mean ANY canopy at a light wingloading is more likely to collapse than a highly loaded canopy due to line tension, regardless of canopy design. However, saying that your friend is in the hospital for underloading a crossbraced canopy is bull. Even from the PD report on the velocity...and PD does a shitload of R&D, they say that the velocity is good from loadings of 1:1. Cheers, Travis

Steve, On a similar note to the tractor driving on grants canopy, Brad Cole had a cutaway the other day WAY west of the dz. When they found the canopy it smelled like shit and was wet from piss and had literally dozens of huge tears in it. We figured out that it was "horse McNasty" there were horses all over it I guess. Felt bad for him, but hey, what can you do. Cheers, Travis